


Moving On

by he_who_is_free_is_never_alone



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Detectives, Eventual Smut, F/M, Hank Anderson and Connor On A Case, Hank Anderson and Connor are Family, How Do I Tag, Neither do I, Original Character(s), POV Multiple, POV Third Person, Romance, Shameless Smut, Smut, connor is a good wingman, hank doesnt know how to deal with emotions, ily hank and connor, ive given up being ashamed, no beta we die like men, the ultimate duo gets a shitty third, this is my first work posted who even am i
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:20:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26502790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/he_who_is_free_is_never_alone/pseuds/he_who_is_free_is_never_alone
Summary: Hank and Connor, detectives to the stars, receive a little extra help with their investigation. Despite Hank’s regard for federal officers, he finds himself drawn to her. Connor just wants to solve this case for fucks sake.
Relationships: Hank Anderson/Original Female Character(s), Hank Anderson/Reader
Comments: 6
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first work I've ever posted. Pls dont hurt me and enjoy the awful HankxOC trash that I am <3

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Hank Anderson had both of his hands laid flat on the desk of his Captain, Jeffrey Fowler, as he stood tensely. Connor looked over at the lieutenant with ever so slightly raised eyebrows.  
“The officer the Feds are sending is already on the way, Hank,” Fowler wore his worn in scowl, “I told you once before and I’ll say it again: there’s nothing I can fucking do. Get out of my office.”  
“Fucks sake,” Hank grumbled as he pushed off forcefully and exited through the glass doors. Connor followed silently, sitting down across from the still huffing detective.  
“I don’t need any more fuckin help,” he grumbled as he typed away at his terminal aggressively, but still slow by Connor’s standards.  
“What do you think about this?” Hank’s sizzling gaze whipped onto Conner in the middle of his observation of his superior’s behavior, “Feds only dick up an investigation.”  
The android’s head tilted to the left, not understanding the meaning of ‘dick up’ and categorizing it under Hank’s unique cursing vernacular file, “I find it..intriguing to have the opportunity to work with someone with such rank and experience.”  
“Of course you would,” the man shook his head and began to turn back to his menial paperwork.  
Connor’s head turned to look towards the entrance when he heard an android stopping someone from continuing on into the precinct. She was tall, he estimated five foot nine inches and his initial scan dictated that this was Anastasia Johnson, the SI Officer the Federal Government sent to assist in the investigation, but there was no further information. He stood in preparation to greet her.  
“What’re you standing for?” Hank peered around the android’s frame to spot a woman reaching into her back pocket and pulling out credentials. His eyes narrowed as he habitually took note of her appearance. She wore a cropped black leather jacket that had spatters of rain on it, a white button down that looked to be two sizes too big for her and laid untucked over her tight fitting black jeans. Hank thought it must have been fashionable. He noticed he hadn’t ever seen her before. He definitely would have remembered if he had. Her face was serious but placid, like a storm about to break over the surface of a lake. Embarrassment fanned the flames of his annoyance when he acknowledged that she was rather beautiful. Just what he needed.  
As she neared their desk, coffee in hand, her hips swayed lightly and naturally with the click of her professional heels. Connor noted that she wore her federal credentials on a lanyard around her neck now, probably as a result of the android halting her. She reached out a hand to Connor, who was still standing on the outside of his desk.  
“Ana Johnson, you must be Detective Connor,” her tone remained professional and comfortable. Connor’s scans did not pick up on any stress; unusual for a human meeting new people.  
“Just Connor,” the android responded, shaking her hand in the firm way he was programmed to. He noticed she matched his strength exactly.  
“Oh,” shock registered for a moment on her face before a smirk turned the right side of her mouth, “I was not informed you were an android. I should have known when I heard Cyberlife sent their own liaison to assist in investigating how their product is going rouge. I look forward to seeing what your model can do.”  
Without waiting for a response from the android she turned to Hank, “Detective Lieutenant Anderson, I’m excited to work with you, though I know my involvement is another unneeded body. I’m sure you are more than capable of handling this, but here we are.”  
“Pleasure,” Hank shook her hand, giving her an appraising look. He hadn’t ever had pleasant experiences with the feds, even if they were pretty, “So why are you here?”  
She let out an amused chuckle, “You don’t beat around the bush do you? I like that. If I may be candid, it's because the higher ups are concerned about where this case will lead.”  
“So like the president?” Hank’s eyes narrowed, arms crossed, he already knew the answer to that.  
“While I don’t report to her, I’m sure the secretary of defense will be briefing her on my reports, if anything of interest should come up,” her smirk returned and her eyes gleamed, “Your case here just got a hell of a lot more...influential.”  
“Have you read the case files?” Connor grabbed her attention again. Something about her caused what would be considered apprehension in humans to arise in Connor’s processing. He didn’t know he could compute wariness.  
“I have. No need to fill me in on anything. Don’t worry, I can keep up,” she sent an easy wink the android’s way. His LED swirled yellow as he tried to process that.  
“Well, you’re welcome to the paperwork, if you need,” Hank said, sitting back down to complete the report he had been so close to filing.  
“Thank you, Lieutenant,” she pulled out the second chair behind Connor’s desk, “You mind if I sit here?”  
“No, not at all,” he turned to look at her, “Actually, I would like to use this opportunity to learn more about you.”  
Hank scoffed across the desk, “You going to ask her out to dinner first?”  
Connor sent him a confused look, “No, I do not eat.”  
Ana chuckled as she settled into her seat, crossing her left leg over her right and leaning back, “What do you want to know? I’m sure your scans told you all the vital information.”  
“No, not really,” Connor admitted, “I do not have access to the profiles of federal employees. I could only pull any public knowledge about you.”  
“Interesting,” her head tilted to the right. Connor suddenly felt like he was being analyzed. He did not like how easily the dynamic switched.  
“Well, I was in the Air Force, came back a Captain, moved into working for the federal government and began my glamorous ground work,” she shifted in her seat slightly, “Unfortunately, an injury sent me to doing behind the desk work.”  
“If you don’t mind my asking, what did you do for the Air Force?” Connor could tell there was a lot she was leaving out, but decided prodding a former service woman about their experience in combat was not a good idea.  
“I worked on the technical aspect starting out, but by the end I was in intelligence,” she said measuredly.  
“So that’s why you’ve been put on this case,” Hank spoke up, having tuned in when she said ‘Air Force’. Connor’s scans picked up that he was also wary of the woman. It was good to know the Lieutenant was feeling the same.  
“To my knowledge, yes.”  
Connor could tell she was uncomfortable- her stress level was at 41%- but could not deduce exactly why her being an intelligence officer was what made her feel that way.  
“If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get more coffee.”  
Connor turned to his partner when Ana was out of sight, “If my observations are correct, you are unsure about Captain Johnson.”  
“I don’t like feds,” he growled out.  
Connor added that to his knowledge of Hank, before asking about the dog fibers on his desk chair.  
Ana sighed as she figured out the new coffee machine in the break room, disregarding the stares every officer directed at her back. She was far too used to being an outsider at this point. It’s what she had done for seven years before. She felt her thigh stiffen and throb a little. Ana did her best to subtly stretch it out, she knew she would regret not wearing pants loose enough to hide her leg brace. She had foolishly decided she was an adult and could do without it. Taking a deep breath, she sipped her coffee and exited the cozy break room, snorting through her nose at the feeling of strain as she walked.  
“Damn leg, piece of shit,” she muttered to herself and to her coffee cup, chugging some of it to quiet her own protest, “the fuck?”  
She halted her approach two desks away from her new partners’ to find that Anderson had pinned the android to the wall threateningly. Great. Even they didn’t get along; this was gonna be a doozy. At least the android seemed friendly enough, she huffed. Unfortunately, her traitorous mind decided that was the exact perfect time to note just how tall and strong Lieutenant Anderson was. She stuffed the thought into a corner of her mind harshly as an officer approached the pair and she headed over to catch what he was saying.  
“-the AX400 that attacked its owner last night, it’s been spotted in the Ravendale District,” the officer said cautiously. A wise decision where Anderson was concerned, if his disciplinary file was anything to go by.  
“I’m on it,” Hank released Connor.  
“Well then,” Ana interrupted, “what are we waiting for?”  
Hank did not appreciate the knowing smirk on her face. She must have seen him threatening the plastic prick. It was as if she had just found out a juicy piece of information on him, he imagined that Connor would attempt to imitate it for interrogations. It unnerved him. He walked past her without saying anything.  
Connor observed the interaction with a measure of despair, how were they meant to complete the investigation if Hank refused to be amicable with neither of his two partners? Ana sent the android another wink and turned to follow the taller man. Well, at the very least, he and the Captain got along.


	2. Chapter 2

The area where the AX400 had robbed a 24/7 convenience store was crawling with police canvassing the area for any and every sign of the bot. Ana arrived in a taxi a few seconds behind the crime fighting duo and took long strides that she shouldn’t have to reach them. Her thigh pulsed. It was nice to know that they would start the investigation before she got there, it really showed how much they truly cared.   
“Captain,” Connor nods to her before the two of them enter the office of the Eastern Motel. Ana moves to follow, but something out of the corner of her eye draws her gaze sharply. She looks back to the two to see them speaking to one Joseph Sheldon, the motel worker that was there at the time of the spotting. Deciding that if they couldn’t wait for her; she wouldn’t wait for them, she moved to casually walk up the stairs to the second level of the motel. Her gaze dead set on the door with number 28 on it.  
She didn’t bother knocking on the door, because she heard a scuffle of noise inside. It sounded an awful lot like a perp frantically trying to escape. She pulled the gun from her side holster and noticed the door was unlocked. She turned it quickly and whipped open the door, checking the main area, closet, and bathroom smoothly. She saw nothing but the open bathroom window and the forms of a woman and small child speed walking down the street among the crowd. Ana could have dismissed it, if it weren’t for the fact that the android turned her head as they rounded the corner to see if they’d been followed, giving her a nice view of the same face the report displayed. She had different hair and covered her LED, though.   
“Well fuck me,” she smirked, the all too familiar feeling of adrenaline coursing through her veins like a potent drug. She had desperately missed the feeling when she sat behind a desk. She forgot all about her thigh as she bolted out the open door and down the staircase to the street level. Sprinting to the office, the detective boys stepped out as she sped towards them.  
“They’re getting away!” she called on her way past, a positively wicked grin on her face.   
Connor did not hesitate to follow her down the street, but Ana had a head start. Her smile concerned the android. It seemed like she was enjoying the chase. She breathed as quickly as she could to power the speed of her movements.   
“Stop that android!” Connor called out to the officers down the street.  
The android and girl had known they were spotted and took off. The perps had a steady lead. She was glad she had the foresight to change from her heels into her backup rainboots. There was no damn way she could hunt down a deviant android running for its life in pumps.   
“They’re down there!” an officer pointed down the alley.   
Ana whipped to the right and down the muddy strip of land, the two in her sights and Connor beside her. She launched herself onto the chain link fence, climbing it as she had trained to do so those years ago. Connor met their gaze through the fence as Ana reached the top. The girl and android turned and bolted towards the highway not a second later. The Captain jumped down from the top of the fence on the other side.  
“Oh fuck, that’s insane. Hey! Don’t you fucking dare!” Hank yelled directly at her from the alley, as Ana was weighing the possibility of getting hit by a truck, “Hey, where you goin?”   
“I can’t let them get away,” Connor said, almost desperately.   
“They’ll never make it to the other side.”  
“I can’t take that chance,” Connor began to climb, but Hank pulled the android back down.   
“You will get yourself killed! Stay here and that’s an order, Connor! You too, Johnson!” Hank put on his authoritative tone of voice and Ana’s years of service demanded she to obey. She felt like an idiot for thinking she could even make it across in the first place. Automated cars zoomed past at speeds to fast for her human brain to process. It was too late either way, the two miraculously made it to the other side and carried on swiftly away.   
“I wasn’t going to,” Ana puffed out, adrenaline seeping out of her bloodstream and releasing the tension from her muscles.   
“Get your ass back over here, now,” Hank ground out.  
She scaled the fence once more, leg protesting as she landed on the alley side, dirt clogging her boots. She stalked past the two of them and back towards the street, limping a little too obviously as she went.   
“Did you injure your leg, Captain?” Connor approached her, not winded at all. Damn androids and their lack of dependence on oxygen.   
“No,” she straightened herself on command, “I am alright, Detective.”  
“You sure, Johnson?” Hank meandered up behind his android partner, eyes displaying his suspicion clearly.   
“I’m sure,” she nodded, striding off into the rain.   
The following morning, Ana rolled over in bed and groaned loudly. It was going to be another shit day weather wise, as the sky was grey and leaking already. She wasn’t used to so much rain, but she felt it suited the city. She pulled her legs over the edge of the bed and hissed as her feet touched the ground, her thigh straining. The sleeping shorts she wore revealed the nasty healing scar there. She could feel the phantom pain of being shot even today.   
“Get down!” she called just before the shots rang out. They had cornered what was left of a gang and their leader in a shit house on the east side. Ana had taken pleasure in hunting them down one by one, picking them off and placing them in custody to be tried. The Veins were notorious for violence, robbery, and Red Ice production.   
The officers and SWAT she had called to take down the last of their safe houses had been expected. The criminals stocked themselves with what little guns and ammo they had left. She was confident that, with her leadership, there would be a swift and just end to this quickly mounting stand off. How wrong she had been.   
Those at the front lines were thrust downwards when the neighboring- thankfully abandoned -building exploded and shots rang out. It was the last ditch effort of a dying group that had once reigned in the streets. Their dynasty had felt so secure, but as it crumbled around them, their leader, Jackson Malone, decided to take out as many cops as he could on his way out.   
As she rose from the initial shock wave, something tore through her flesh and buckled both of her knees. The shouting of orders rang out around her and through her comm as the frightened voice of her then partner yelled at her to stay with him. Dale Carter ripped the belt from his waist to tie it around her upper leg, as quickly as his dirt covered hands could manage. Ana remembers gripping his bicep and staring at the blood stain that blossomed on his white shirt as her vision faded. It was her blood. She never could forgive herself for putting him through that.  
She bore witness to the death of three officers that day. Two were wounded. All under her command. All with families and lives of their own. She didn’t think she would have to deal with this when she returned from deployment. The guilt crawled down her throat for the entirety of her hospital stay and physical therapy. She returned to work with a decidedly closed emotional state.   
She shook the memory from her head. The fear in Dale’s eyes was not something she would quickly forget. She thought of that afternoon often each day. How could she not when every time she took a step it reminded her?  
She stood and grit her teeth; she had over done it yesterday. The thrill of being back where she felt she belonged was too much for her to overcome. When the adrenaline hits, she goes, no questions in her mind. Ana limped over to her closet and pulled out her leg brace. It was some piece of advanced shit that looked like a pair of compression pants with metal supports in seemingly random places to her. Almost instantly, her right leg felt better.   
She did the stretches she was supposed to be doing every morning for her continued physical therapy, and refused to look in the mirror on her way to the bathroom. Ana hated herself for how excited the prospect of not one but two new partners made her. Dale’s face shot across her vision. She didn’t deserve it.   
Her day passed in a flurry of typing/reading at Connor’s terminal and regret. Not that anyone around her would be able to see the latter on her face. She had just filed her final report and was standing in line to get her evening coffee when Connor called her.   
“Johnson.”  
“Captain, the lieutenant and I are on our way to an establishment called ‘Chicken Feed’. I was wondering if you would meet us there,” he said, without preamble.   
She sighed and rubbed her face for a moment, a brief insight into what she sounded like when she had her guard down. Connor filed that away.   
“Sure, I’m on my way, Detective.”   
“I’m not a detective,” Connor said.  
She hung up and scheduled a cab with her phone. If an android could sound annoyed, she was sure that was what it would sound like. She poured her coffee. Ana had a feeling Hank did not know and/or want her there, but Connor had contacted her. So, she was on her way.   
Arriving outside the mildly dingy food truck, she stepped out of the cab and spotted the two of them standing before the window. She headed for them, stuffing her free hand casually into her long coat.   
“I will have the same,” Connor said, already completing the transaction mentally.   
“What?” Hank shot the android a baffled and skeptical look, “I thought you didn’t eat.”  
“I don’t.”  
“What-?”  
“Evening gentleman,” Ana greeted, stopping just before them.   
“You called Johnson?” Hank did nothing to mask his annoyance.   
“It’s nice to see you too, asshole,” Ana deadpanned before turning to stand at a table and drink her coffee.   
The captain’s sudden snappiness took Hank aback. So far, he had only ever seen her professional and on the clock. The way she smiled as she chased after the deviant was a surprise too. Yesterday, he got the impression she was like every other fed, stern and professional to monumentally asshole proportions. His initial deduction of her was on shaky ground now. He took his food from the steel countertop and sipped his drink absently, meandering over to the table she claimed.   
“These are for you, Captain. Though, they are more harmful than nutritional and I would not advise eating them,” he sent a disapproving look in Hank’s direction.   
“Oh. Thank you, Detective,” she took the warm food from Connor’s hands. Surprised by the act of kindness, warming almost instantaneously to the android. She was pretty sure buying food for your coworker was not in his programming, but decided to keep that tidbit to herself.   
“Can I ask you a question?” Connor’s head tilted to the left slightly.   
“You don’t have to ask for permission,” Ana responded after swallowing her first bite.   
“Why do you call me ‘Detective’? I am a machine.”  
Ana halted mid-chew. Hank watched her closely, enjoying his burger and the show. She couldn’t ever remember hearing an android refer to itself as a machine. It was unnerving for reasons unknown to her.   
“As long as you refer to me as Captain, which I technically am no longer, I will give you the title, which you technically are not,” she leaned in conspiratorially, “it's called a nickname.”  
“Don’t give me one of those,” Hank cut in swiftly, attempting to shut down the idea before it even surfaced between the two.   
“You already have one,” Ana sent him a playful glare, “It’s grumpy ass-man.”  
Connor watched in a sort of horror as the two of them held stern gazes. He worried that one comment would plunge them ever farther into disagreement. Slowly, Ana was the first to crack. Her lips twitched upwards and Hank’s chest shook minutely. She gave in and let out a shocking laugh. It was melodic as she was beautiful and hearty as she was a former soldier. Connor’s face remained fixed in his automatic response of surprise. Hank broke into light laughter moments after her.   
“What the hell was that?” Hank asked after a minute.   
“It wasn’t one of my better ones,” she wheezed out, still chuckling.   
Connor released tension from his body that he didn’t know he was holding, happy to see the two laughing together. Ana kept her mouth shut as Connor, who seemed pleased with the cheery atmosphere, decided to chat with Hank about his cholesterol intake and illegal gambling. Ana was not surprised to see Hank’s eyes briefly flicked to her’s as Connor mentioned the gambling, as if she would write him up on the spot, and she simply chuckled.   
However, when he looked at her reaction to Connor’s assessment of his caloric intake, she was struck with confusion, though an amused smile remained on her face outwardly. Why would he care what she thought about his dietary habits? He looked like he was doing damn well for himself for being an alcoholic that only eats take out. As he turned back to snap at Connor she caught herself subconsciously eyeing up the Lieutenant’s body. Her muscles went rigid in her relaxed position.   
Had it really been that long? She absently frowned into the distance as she rifled through the memories of her past romantic endeavours. It had already been two years since she was shot and the last was four months before that. It had almost been two and a half years since she engaged in any romantic or sexual activity. She cringed at the wall her gaze had fixated on. Was she truly so depraved that she would eye up one of her new partners? Her face flushed. She was ogling her technically higher ranking and older co-worker.   
Adamantly, she argued that, beneath his rough exterior, he showed a care and responsibility most men never grew to have. He may claim to dislike Connor, but she could see Hank warming up to his presence with every conversation without realising it himself. It was endearing to watch. That, and he was attractive. He was both tall and broad, which wasn’t usually her type, but maybe she had been going for the wrong men her whole life. Oh fuck, now she was rationalizing the workplace crush. Well, shit.   
“Are you alright, Captain Johnson? Your face is flushed and your stress level is at fifty-eight percent,” Connor cut through her thoughts like a knife.  
“Yeah you don’t look too good.”  
The level of concern displayed on Hank’s face was doing nothing to help the warmth in her stomach. Damn hormones, damn feelings, and damn men her age...wait-  
“I’m-” she cleared her throat, “I’m fine.”  
“Your demeanor and tone suggest you were thinking of something inappropriate,” Connor spoke with no thought to the implications of his words.   
Hank tensed up, not sure how the woman would react to that. Hell, he wasn’t sure how he would have reacted to that. He probably would punch the damn prick. Instead, she sent another shock through the two men across from her.   
“And how would you know that?” she asked, brow raised as she sipped her coffee.   
“Your stress level spiked, your posture became tense, the tone of your voice was rough and deeper, and your face was flushed,” Connor rattled off instantly.   
“Hmm,” she shrugged, turning back to her burger.   
“Hold on,” Hank cut in, disbelief heavy as he spoke, “so you’re not only saying he read your mind, but you’re not denying it?”  
Her face turned pink, “If he’s right, he’s right. If he’s wrong, he’s wrong. Either way, it’s good detective work if he can read someone that well.”  
Hank was about to continue when Connor opened his mouth.  
“What were you thinking about?”   
The two humans turned their heads to show Connor their traumatized expressions. Had he really just asked that? Ana burst out laughing, doubling over instantly, and using the edge of the table to keep her somewhat upright. He sounded so innocent and curious, like a little kid asking where babies came from. Hank was still mortified.   
“What the fuck, Connor?” He accused the droid.   
“That is for me to know, and you to never find out,” she chuckled once more, shaking her head at the situation. Out of all of the crazy stories she had come to take on, an android detective prototype suspecting her of having sexual thoughts as she ate a burger with the man she was having sexual thoughts about had to be one of the top three.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello again, and welcome to the third installment of 'i'm apparently into older men'  
> Don't forget to destroy that like and subscribe button and pray for my immortal soul (͠≖ ͜ʖ͠≖)

“I can smell the curiosity on you, Lieutenant,” Ana spoke without looking at the man as they walked some ways behind Connor into the building the deviant tip off report had given them.  
“What do you mean?” he played dumb. Truth was curiosity had been eating up at him since Connor’s appalling accusation an hour prior. He found himself wanting to know her. That, and the idea that she may not be a total dickweed, rattled around at the forefront of his brain. He rather hated that he couldn’t stop thinking about her. It had been two days for Chrissake. Even when he had been heavily inebriated the night before his mind fixated on her existence.  
“You want to ask me something,” she stated, giving him a smile from the side, “Shoot.”  
“Every federal officer I’ve ever had the displeasure of working with was a total ass,” he gave her an appraising look, “I’m starting to suspect you’re not.”  
“Ah, I see. I always say I love to do field work because I hate my coworkers.”  
Hank cracked a smile at that.  
“And it rings true, for the most part, but that wasn’t a question.”  
They were in the elevator now, and Ana knew it could all hit the fan, if they were met with resistance or a corpse. You just never know with tip offs until you show up.  
“Don’t worry, you can ask me when you’re ready,” she nodded.  
“Ready for what?” Connor decided to pipe up.  
“Hank is reevaluating his personal opinion of me,” she was simultaneously playful and far too serious for the situation as she spoke, “It’s a delicate process.”  
All Hank could do was huff and cross his arms, too distracted by the fact that she called him by his first name to process anything else. His chest felt all warm and that giddy feeling rose as it did back in high-school whenever he was around a pretty girl. Crossing his arms was half to try and quell the feeling, as though he could hide it that way. He thought it was stupid how much it affected him, he was a grown ass man for fucks sake.  
Ana felt as though her excitement over Hank possibly deciding not to dislike her existence was rather overexaggerated. Especially since she had only recently come to fully realize her attraction to him. It was a slippery slope from that point on and while she would normally shut herself away, suppress her feelings, and feel awful about herself until they were manageable on a day to day basis, she no longer had that luxury. She would be seeing him daily, for extended periods of time, and she was bound to develop further feelings for the man who doesn’t even know if he likes her. This was a disaster.  
Connor knocked on the front door, “Is anyone home?!”  
Hank gave him a confused look.  
“Detroit Police open up!” the android’s voice became authoritative.  
There was a loud thumping and banging from inside. The three of them shared a look of shock. None of them really thought this was going anywhere when they got the report.  
“Get behind me,” Hank pushed the android behind him and pulled out his pistol.  
Ana filed that away to gush about it later. She got it bad. She followed his lead and pulled her own weapon from it’s shoulder holster, nodding to the man when she was prepared. He kicked in the door and the two fanned out, instincts kicking in as they checked each room prepared for an assault. When no one was around, Ana replaced her gun. Something still didn’t feel right.  
“Ah Jesus!” Hank grumbled.  
She went down the hall to discover an ungodly amount of pigeons inhabiting the apartment. Ana doubled over when the smell hit her like a punch to the gut.  
“Oh, I think I might be sick,” she groaned, lifting her sleeve to try and inhale the smell of her jacket.  
“Don’t you dare, ‘cause then I’ll start,” Hank pointed an accusing finger at her, “Looks like we came here for nothing.”  
Ana tuned the two out as they continued to speak. Her eye had been caught by the dedicated scratching and writing of ‘RA9’ on the shower wall. It looked like a shrine. A chill worked its way up her back and her spine straightened in response. She wondered what it could possibly mean.  
“Connor,” her voice called out, while her mind stayed focused on the site before her, “You should check out the bathroom. It was a deviant alright.”  
“You are correct, Captain Johnson,” his LED whirled yellow as he took in the new info.  
Ana trailed out of the bathroom to peer around the rest of the shit hole. She frowned at the sight of a few pigeons viciously pecking through a bag of birdseed, like wolves tearing into a deer carcass. She scoffed at the sight and turned to watch Connor stare at a hole in the ceiling. She froze, he was like a bloodhound on the trail, approaching slowly and never looking away from where the cornered animal lay. The adrenaline was being pumped into her system and she shifted her weight to the balls of her feet. The android dropped from the ceiling and took off down the hall.  
“What are you waiting for? Go after it!” Hank told Connor, who seemed delayed. It was like he was waiting for orders.  
Ana sprinted out of the hall after it, Connor on her heels. They vaulted over the pushed over shelf and burst out the fire exit door. The deviant was racing into the urban farms. Connor leapt onto a hay truck and up a level, nimbly.  
“Fuck,” Ana swore as she followed suit.  
Connor dipped into a greenhouse as she took a detour to the left, seeing the two popping out the other side seconds before her. She reached the edge of the building and had no time to think as she threw herself over the edge and slid down the glass, launching herself through where the deviant broke through. She could feel the smile on her face as she vaulted her body up the stairs, taking a sharp right into the lavender fields. Connor scaled the ladder, in hot pursuit of Rupert. Ana stayed on the lower level, using an AC unit to jump onto the next rooftop and skidding to a halt when both of the androids jumped onto a moving train.  
“Now that's a chase,” she chuckled.  
“Holy Shit,” Hank said, jogging up.  
“Nice of you to show up,” she called over her shoulder with a laugh as she kicked off again. Mind working as fast as it could to find another, more human friendly route to their destination. She climbed a set of stairs two at a time and watched as she caught their forms cutting across two buildings. Ultimately, Hank’s longer legs outmatched her own and he overtook her. She couldn’t stop the pang of jealousy that shot through her stomach and used the few seconds to stare at the wide expanse of his back before the deviant shoved him off the building.  
“Hank!” she yelled. It was ripped from her throat and she was sure it sounded pathetic and frantic. She dove for the hand she could see peeking over the edge. She gripped his forearm with both hands and propped herself up on one knee. Ana used all of her force to pull him upwards, but, as his body slowly rose, her leg gave out. She gasped, her ribs being pushed harshly against the stone. The burning of her thigh made her groan through clenched teeth. Hank dangled there freely, held up only by the strength of her arm. Her grip tightened. She would not let him go. It all happened in the span of a few seconds, but it felt like a lifetime she was there, holding his arm with all her might. She stared into Hank’s eyes.  
It was in that moment that she felt a familiar guilt rush over her like a bucket of ice water. She felt it when she was the shortest one at basic training and struggled to get over the obstacle course wall. She felt it when those bigger than her were asked without a second thought to do the heavy lifting on base. She felt it when she gripped Detective Carter’s bicep as she bled on the concrete. And, just now, when Hank so easily ran faster than her. If only she could be stronger, better, faster. Then maybe she would be able to quench the feeling that she just wasn’t quite good enough. It was the reason she couldn’t even look herself in the eye.  
Then, just as quickly as it had begun, it was all over. Connor was at her side, hefting Hank upwards by his other arm. Fucking Connor. The perfect detective. The embodiment of all of her inadequacies both physically and mentally. The realization was striking. She heard them talking, but stood leaning against the wall, her fist clenched against the brick making sure to keep the weight off her leg. She stared out over the ledge as she shook lightly, whether from the running or the heavy lifting, she did not know.  
Her body slumped. She wasn’t mad at Connor, or Hank, or Carter, or any of them. Though the anger always rose, it was all directed inward. They were her faults. Her problem. Hank had almost died and she was the one acting like a pathetic sulky teen.  
“Are you alright, Hank?” she turned her body, half hopping around to face the two.  
Hank was taken back by the genuine worry that shone in her eyes, but couldn’t say he minded, “Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks to you and Connor.”  
“You would have died if it were just me,” she said, oddly devoid of emotion.  
“I don’t think-”  
“Are we going after Rupert?” she interrupted Connor. It was the first time she had ever done that. Hank thought that the tone of voice she was using had to be the one she used when she was in command. Authoritative. Assured. Controlled.  
“He’s gone now,” Connor continued on, eyes widened and head tilted slightly, “I am sure he will turn up. He cannot stay in hiding forever.”  
Ana recognized the suspicion on the androids face, but ignored it.  
“We should head back to the station then-” she began, taking a step forward and instantly falling to a knee, struck silent by the pain.  
“Ana,” Hank worriedly called as he dropped down beside her.  
She stared at the gravel beneath her hands and breathed deeply. Hating herself for enjoying the comfort that Hank’s large, warm hand on her back provided.  
“She is injured, Lieutenant,” Connor stated after a scan.  
“Shit,” Hank grabbed her bicep, speaking quickly, “Where? What happened?”  
“I was shot,” she looked up to meet Hank’s gaze, face blank once more, “Two years ago. It tore through my leg.”  
“She is not 100% recovered,” Connor added after pulling hospital records under her name.  
“And you were running this whole fucking time?” he scolded her, exacerbated.  
She turned to stare bitterly at the ground for a moment, before rising to her feet suddenly, “I’m fine. I just needed a minute.”  
“Like hell you needed a minute, you’re still limping,” Hank shot back. Stomping over to her side, he threw his arm under her’s and around her back to support her. She wasn’t the only one with command experience and he left no room for argument.  
“Lieutenant Anderson is right, you should not be putting your wound under such extreme stress,” Connor smoothly moved to her other side to help.  
“Really, I’ll be alright,” she huffed, “I can walk.”  
“Bullshit,” Hank shut her down and she just opted to walk with the two’s assistance.  
“This was why you were limping after you chased the deviant with the child,” Connor concluded aloud.  
“Correct,” she grunted as Hank set her down in the passenger seat of his car, “I wasn’t wearing a brace then either.”  
“You were supposed to be wearing a brace-!” Hank began, but his indignation halted the rest of his sentence as he fumed over to the drivers side of the car, “You are not pulling anymore of that bullshit on my watch. I don’t give a shit if you are under federal jurisdiction, you will wear your brace or you will stay home.”  
“What the Lieutenant is trying to say is, he’s worried about you,” Connor said from the back seat.  
“Thanks, Connor,” the man ground out, but his cheeks pinked regardless.  
The ride back to the station continued in silence. Hank kept thinking back to her eyes as she held onto him. He knew that look. His own inadequacy and fear so clearly reflected in her eyes; he wanted to look away, but he was only drawn in. It wasn’t just the detective in him that demanded answers. His own foolish attachment to her only grew at the idea that she may understand.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤

“I will be inside,” Connor said, reading the situation perfectly for once, and leaving the two in Hank’s car with a gentle shove to close the back door.   
Hank agitatedly looked over to her, not exactly knowing what to say. So many and yet no thoughts running through his mind at once. Heavy metal played softly through the speakers, sounding oddly appropriate.   
She spoke first, “Thank you.”  
He met her gaze.   
“You shouldn’t have to take care of me-”  
“Shut up,” he found himself saying, knowing where she was going, “Why do you refuse to accept help? Why don’t you take care of yourself?”  
Ana felt like those were questions he directed not only at her, but at himself too. She felt her heart melt and spoke softly, “It's hard to be weak.”  
Something passed between them. Some silent emotional sort of understanding that just clicked between the two. Neither dared to contemplate the implications of this new development. She had helped saved his life. In return he caught a glimpse into her innermost fears. It was an unusually large revelation for the early stages of knowing one another, but both felt a sort of peace knowing there was another person who knew.   
Ana wanted so badly to kiss him in that moment. The gentle understanding that shone in his eyes in the low light of the parking lot lights overhead did things to her resolve. She forced the thought down, he had only just decided he didn’t despise her presence. Now was not the time for rash actions, no matter how much she thought it would just feel right. She felt so stupid.   
Hank knew he shouldn’t have even brought it up and he shouldn’t be looking at her like that. He would scare her away, and yet, she remained. He had the inexplicable desire to pull her into an embrace and comfort her, to kiss her and gently lay her head against his chest. A quiet part of him knew that would never happen. And still, he took a leap.   
“Come on, buckle up. I’ll drive you home.”  
The tired, thankful smile she gave him yanked at something in his chest, warmth blossoming from there. He felt blood rise in his cheeks and turned to start the car.   
“What about Connor?” she asked lightly. She spoke as if they were so familiar.   
“He’ll be alright. I’m sure he finished the report on the ride over, damn efficient bastard.”  
Ana laughed comfortably, sinking into the seat behind her, muttering, “You’re so funny.”  
Hank cracked a smile, feeling stupidly proud that she laughed at his jokes. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman found him entertaining. Even his ex-wife thought his jokes were dumb. The thought caused his stomach to clench. That was not good. Ana spoke occasionally to give him directions to her apartment, but other than that and the nearly silent heavy metal, it was quiet.   
A nearly sinful idea popped into her head and her nerves stepped into overdrive. She was just thankful he was able to find a parking spot a few spaces down from the front door to her building, otherwise it would be unlikely he would agree.  
“Would you be able to help me up the stairs?” her face flushed red, cringing as she sounded like a 79 year old woman with a bad hip.   
“Of course,” he shook his head like it was the most obvious thing in the world as he climbed out the drivers side.   
She sat there shocked for a moment before swinging the door open and hefting herself out and closing the door behind her. Ana felt too excited as she placed her hand in the crook of his arm, “I’m sorry.”  
“Stop apologizing,” he scolded lightly, wrapping her arm around his shoulders once they reached the stairs. She used his taller frame to limp up each step and he was so incredibly patient with her. It was so touching she just might have to cry about it later.   
“I thought I was supposed to be the old haggard one,” he chuckled as they finally reached the top.   
“You’re not old,” she huffed, “and you’re rather handsome, in my opinion.”  
She said it like it was nothing, but he halted in his careful steps beside her as he shuffled forward to open her front door. He was glad she didn’t witness first hand with her calculating eyes just how much the compliment affected him. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman thought he was handsome either, nevermind a young beautiful one far out of his league.   
Her front door swung open after some fiddling with her keys and she turned to face him. She didn’t miss the intense stare he had been sending her.   
“Well, this is me,” she hoped she didn’t sound as breathless as she felt, “Would you like to come in?”  
Her temporary home was a one bedroom apartment above a flower shop and laundromat. It wasn’t big, but the ceilings were high and it was recently updated with industrial touches. It reminded her of the decade previous, when she had got her own apartment. It was nostalgic. She thanked herself for tidying up a bit before coming into the station that morning.   
Meanwhile, Hank couldn’t believe what he was hearing, despite knowing she didn’t mean it like that.   
“I shouldn’t,” he swallowed thickly, “I have to get home to feed Sumo.”  
She shot him a confused look.   
“Sumo, my dog Sumo,” he clarified quickly, looking away and flushing.   
Her face lit up involuntarily, “I’d love to meet him.”  
His eyes snapped back to hers. Why did this feel like the end of a date? He returned her smile with a small one, “You should sometime. I’ll see you tomorrow, Ana.”  
Faster than she could respond, he took four long strides and went down the staircase. His internal screams echoed around his skull as he went. Ana’s face heated up. A smile slowly spread across her face; he had called her by name. She never thought it could sound so nice. She closed her door and leaned against it for a minute before shaking her head and going to shower the day off.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been three days since the Captain and Lieutenant’s moment of vulnerability and while Hank’s hostility towards Ana had decreased to zero, his awkwardness rose. She didn’t mind though, it was rather endearing to see a man almost a foot taller than her act all fiddly. Of course, Connor picked up on it and she caught him scanning the older man more often. She wondered what he found out, but didn’t dare ask.   
It was currently evening and she was enjoying some take-out Italian as she watched some awfully dramatic rom-com on TV. She had showered and slipped into a t-shirt and sweatpants that were about two sizes too large for her. Just as Ana placed a fork full of noodles in her mouth, the doorbell rang. Her eyebrows drew down and together at the sound, as if it had offended her. When she swallowed and opened the door, a damp Connor stood before her.   
“Connor?” her confusion only grew. She let him inside the darkened apartment.   
“Have you seen Lieutenant Anderson? I cannot find him at his usual bars and he is never working at the station this late,” he looked her in the eyes as if accusing her of harboring Hank there, “We have a crime scene to get to.”  
“Shit we do!? Hold on let me grab my coat and I can drive you to Hank’s,” she ran to her bedroom and yanked a synthetic wool trench coat, her gun, and her badge before leading Connor out of her living space. She was sure the android knew everything about her from the two minutes he was left in the living room. She took him to the underground garage beneath her building, the lights of her now vintage Mustang turning on as she unlocked the doors. They climbed in and she gave Connor a side eye.   
“How late are we to this scene?”  
“39 minutes and 53 seconds,” his response was automatic.   
“Excellent,” she grumbled as she turned onto the street.  
She whipped into Hank’s driveway and hopped out of the car. The house was dark, save for a faint light illuminating the side of the house. She let Connor knock on the door as she hung back on the little porch, taking in the surrounding neighborhood. The lawns were taken care of and a few more high end houses were sprinkled in with the starter homes. It looked to be a nice area.  
“He’s not answering,” Connor grabbed her attention.   
“Let’s go have a look around the side. His car is here and a light is on, so he’s gotta be in there somewhere,” she stepped down and wandered over to the right. The two peered into an unshaded window.   
“Oh fuck,” Ana breathed out, her heart dropping into her stomach. She pressed her open palms against the glass and strained her eyes to see if he was breathing. Hank lay on the floor behind the table, unmoving. Panic set in, but so did her training.  
She heaved at the window and it was locked, “Connor, step back.”   
Ana threw her elbow against the window and shattered it, throwing herself through the window and trying to avoid exposing any skin to the glass shards. She could feel the rush of blood in her ears as she sprinted to the man’s side, placing her head against his chest to listen for a heartbeat. When she heard an unsteady one she let out a sigh of relief. He was alive at least.   
“Will he be alright?”   
“The Lieutenant has a very high blood-alcohol content, but, with some rousing, he should be alright. He is a large man.”   
Ana’s body relaxed and true exhaustion shone on her face. She hadn’t known Hank for long, but she knew she was already dangerously attached to him. She had no idea what she would have done if there was no heartbeat in his chest. Her weight shifted back onto her hand, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before refocusing.   
“Lieutenant?” Connor asked, lightly clapping the side of Hank’s face. He stirred, but ultimately returned to being passed out.   
“Hank? Hank?!” Ana opened his eyelids and shook his head from side to side. His eyes opened blearily as he peered up at her.   
“Ana?”  
“Hello, Lieutenant!” Connor yelled at the man.   
“The fuck are you doing here?” he glared at the android detective.   
“Let’s get him up.”  
Ana nodded, taking one arm and hefting.   
“Leave me alone, fuckin android. Get the fuck out of my house!”  
“This is for your own good, Hank,” Ana growled as they set him on the edge of the tub. She let Connor take it from there and she went back to the table, inspecting the empty bottle of whiskey. Time stopped, as did her heart. as she spotted the revolver. She reached for it with an unsteady hand, opening the chamber to see that the next shot would have killed him. As the reality sunk in, she placed it quickly onto the table like it burned her. She wanted so desperately to do something to fix it, but knew there was nothing to be done. He seemed to have his mind set on killing himself one way or another. Whether it be the drinking or the roulette. Her exhaustion returned. The weight of this was too much to bear at the moment.   
She wandered back at the sound of Hank talking. She peeked in to see Connor leaving and watched as he entered another room. Her gaze went back to Hank as he threw up, now soaking wet. Going against the warning in her mind, she went and kelt beside him, rubbing firm circles into his back as she pulled his hair out of his face. She acknowledged that this was not professional, but nothing about the situation was. She decided that she didn’t give a shit.  
He turned his bloodshot eyes and flushed face to look at her, obviously more sober. She could only fix him with the softest look she could muster, continuing to offer what little comfort she could. He turned to empty his guts again. Connor returned with dry clothing. With one last pat, she stood to leave him to change. He asked for five minutes.   
Ana stood tensley by the kitchen table, arms crossed and staring down the hall. She had no idea what to do or what to think, but she wanted to do something to help. He didn’t deserve this. No one did. Her eyes stung, she rubbed them with the heels of her palm quickly. Now was not the time.   
She rested her hand on the table with a sigh and felt something brush her hand. She looked down to see a small picture frame, it looked worn around the edges, like it had been held a lot. Flipping it over, she saw a photo of a young boy, looking strikingly like Hank. She dared not believe it, but her head turned to the door at the very end of the hall, shut to the world. She walked as quietly as she could to it, hand gripping the cool metal and turning. The door swung inwards smoothly, revealing a small, abandoned, child’s room. Instantly, she closed the door and strode silently to the living room and out the front door. She went down the steps and stood in the middle of the walkway, in the rain. Her breath refused to leave her lungs. This time she could not hold back the tears that rolled down her face. She looked up into the darkened sky searching the inky depths, rain hitting her face lightly.  
Why?  
The front door opened and she lowered her gaze to stare at the house across the street. Somehow feeling too much and nothing all at once. She felt so strongly for Hank. She would want to end it too.   
“Are you driving, Captain?” Connor asked, striding over to her side, Hank staring at her back pensively.   
“Yes,” her tone was light, but held great weight, “Lets go.”  
The drive was absolutely silent. Hank lay in the back seat and Connor looked out the window. Ana’s thoughts raged. She knew she shouldn’t say anything. She had technically been snooping through his house, but, irrationally, she wanted to wrap him into a tight hug and sob. She glanced into the rearview mirror and got a view of Hank’s torso. Her eyebrows drew down; she was determined to help this man, come hell or high water, but, for now, she would just try and help solve this case.   
“Hold on, Connor, this case is at a sex club?” Ana asked as she parked out front of the neon illuminated building.   
“Yes,” he side eyed her, left side of his mouth upturned, “Will that be a problem, Captain?”  
“Don’t you even start,” she tried to be mad at him, but a smile crept onto her face. He gave her an impish look as she climbed out of the car, following the two men into the entrance hall, where Connor stared curiously at the android girl in a glass cage near the door.   
““Sexiest Androids in town? Now I know why you insisted on coming here. Connor, what the fuck are you doing?” Hank asked.   
“Coming Lieutenant,” he hurried to the man’s side. Ana chuckled quietly to herself as she followed.   
The beat of the music thumped in Ana’s ears as the sight of near naked androids danced on poles and waited in their glass containers. Her face wrinkled up and the feeling of being inappropriately dressed for such a crime scene did cross her mind. Sweatpants were not exactly allowed in the dress code. She tugged her coat closed and avoided the gaze of every android trying to lure her in as she passed. Ana had no idea where to look and was immensely uncomfortable.   
“The investigation is ongoing, sir. I can’t tell you anything at the moment,” Detective Ben Collins said to the downright greasy club owner, “Hey Hank.”  
“Hey Ben, how’s it going?”   
“It’s that room there and, oh, by the way, Gavin’s in there too.”   
“Oh great, a dead body and an asshole, just what I needed,” Hank grumbled.   
Ana had heard of Gavin Reed, but had thankfully never had the misfortune of meeting him. She hadn’t heard a single good thing. Her luck must have ran out. Hank and Connor entered the room before her. She took a breath, preparing herself for analyzing the crime scene and dealing with a potentially hostile detective.   
“Lieutenant Anderson and his plastic pet. The fuck you two doin here?”   
“Three,” Ana cut in, guard up and face displaying nothing but an underhanded sort of disappointment.   
“The fuck are you?”  
“Federal Detective Anastasia Johnson, Special Investigations Division,” she responded automatically, fixing him with a bland unimpressed look, “And you are?”   
“Detective Gavin Reed,” he was clearly fuming.  
“You work with the feds now, Hank?,” he spat the word out like a curse,” That’s low, even for you.”  
“If you wouldn’t mind,” Ana cut in authoritatively, “We’ll have a look at the crime scene.”  
“There’s nothing to see,” he snarled at her.  
“It’s just some pervert,” he chuckled, “who caught more action than he could handle.”   
“We’ll be having a look anyway,” Hank responded.   
Reed scoffed like a teenage girl, “Come on. Let’s go. It’s, uh, starting to stink of booze in here.”   
On his way out he shoulder-checked Connor, who was unaffected both physically and emotionally by the display of violence. Ana’s anger flared though.   
“Night, lieutenant,” the officer nodded respectfully as he followed the dickweed out.   
“Is he always that unpleasant?” Ana asked after the three were alone. Connor’s attention was focused solely on the Traci model laying motionless on the ground.   
“Yes,” Hank deadpanned from her left side, giving her a tired look.   
Against her better judgement, she reached her hand out and squeezed his lower bicep with a knowing nod before moving on to inspect the body. Her face was tinged with red. She had touched him in a friendly and familiar manner; she only hoped he would start to return the favor. If he did, it was highly likely that he felt the same as her. She took a moment to cringe at the logic, but not arguing with it either.   
Hank felt his stomach do a flip when she comforted him. His arm was still warm where she had touched him, even through his thick coat. He felt ridiculous.   
“Oh wha-hey hey! Ugh Connor that is disgusting! Think I’m gonna puke again,” he grimaced as he spotted the android tasting the blue blood on the Traci’s face.   
Connor came to Ana’s side moments later, clearly scanning the deceased male in front of them.   
“Strangled,” Ana said, arms crossed.  
“I agree, his heart went into cardiac arrest,” Connor noted, eyes not leaving the body, “There is severe bruising around the neck.”  
“It doesn’t prove anything, could have been rough play,” Hank supplied, looking at the guy’s ID.   
Ana shook her head absently and couldn’t resist the opportunity.   
“If that’s play to you then I’m staying away,” Ana said in mock seriousness, hand on her chin thoughtfully.   
“That’s not what I-!” Hank was truly blushing now.   
Ana fixed him with a smirk, halting his defense of himself. He sent her an annoyed huff, but she could tell he wasn’t actually mad. When he glanced back at her she winked easily at him, turning to inspect the Traci.   
Hank was sure his mind short circuited when she casually winked at him. He was almost certain she was flirting with him. If he had been about 20 years younger, he would have been confident enough to reciprocate. But instead he battled with himself about whether he was even in her league or not. Whether the flirting was genuine or not.   
“The only way to access it’s memory is to reactivate it,” Connor was opening the abdominal plate of the Traci.   
“You can do that?” Ana asked, peering over his shoulder to look into the inner workings of the android. All she could make out was tubes, wires, and metal.   
“If I can, it would only be for a minute. I just hope it’s long enough to learn something.”  
“Well, if anyone could find out the information we need that fast, it would be you, Detective Wonder Boy,” Ana nodded.   
Connor connected two tubes and the Traci jolted awake, breathing heavily like she actually needed oxygen. She scrambled as far away from the three of them that she could, until she was backed against the wall. True terror shone in her wide, glossy eyes. The humans stayed away as Connor slowly approached the girl, hands out.   
“You were damaged and I reactivated you,” Connor spoke, “Everything is alright.”   
Ana nearly believed him.   
“Is he...Is he dead?”  
“Tell me what happened,” Connor pleaded. He sounded so human.   
She cracked like an egg.   
“He started..hitting me. Again. And Again,” she stuttered.   
Ana felt for her. Felt for an android. How could this girl simulate the pain, the fear, the confusion that this Traci displayed so freely. She was sure it wasn’t in their original code. This girl experienced trauma.   
“Did you kill him?”  
“No, it wasn’t me.”  
She wasn’t lying.   
“Was there someone else with you?” Ana called from her place away from the two.   
“Were you alone in the room?” Connor reiterated urgently, leaning in closer to her, blocking Ana’s view. The Traci was near to shutting down again.   
“He wanted to play with two girls. That’s what he said. There were two of us,” she panicked.   
“What was the other model? Did it look like-!” Connor halted and stood with a sharp exhale.   
Ana saw her eyes. Saw the now blank look in them as the android was frozen in time and place. Even then, her eyes looked haunted. Ana knew she wouldn’t easily forget that look. The look of a corpse on a machine that was never meant to feel.   
“There was another android,” Hank breathed, “this happened over an hour ago. It could be long gone.”  
“Where would you go if you were a deviant android?” Ana asked.  
“What?”   
“Can’t have gone far.”  
“No,” Connor nodded, “It couldn’t have gone outside dressed like that unnoticed. It might still be here.”   
Ana wandered around the room, straining her eyes for any cameras. She was paying attention to what the owner was saying in response to Hank’s questioning though, in case there was anything vital.   
“Captain Ana, I need your fingerprint,” Connor called over to her.   
“What? Did you find something?” she strode over quickly. He stood before an available female model.   
“Can you rent this Traci?” he asked, eyes wide like a puppy.   
Ana recoiled, “What the fuck Connor?! No! Why?!”  
“What’s going on?” Hank came over at the commotion, frown on his face.   
“Just trust me,” he was asking for their trust and he sounded so sure. Ana knew she would trust him with her life.   
“Damn it,” she shoved her hand onto the keypad.   
“Hello. A 30 minute session costs 29.99,” a far too cheerful automated voice came from the glass case.   
“Shit’s not cheap,” she muttered, confirming the payment and wincing as she did.   
Hank’s face was riddled with disbelief, “What the fuck are you doing?”   
“We’ll see. Connor you owe me 29.99,” she pointed an accusing finger at him as the Traci stepped out of the glass and ran a hand up Ana’s back. She stiffened in surprise.   
“Delighted to meet you,” she purred, “I’ll take you to your room.”  
“Connor you better have an actual plan,” Ana stood rigidly, once more very uncomfortable, as the model wrapped a hand delicately around her arm.   
Connor took over from there and went to interface with the android, taking her interest away from the Captain and allowing her to escape.   
“I don’t know,” Hank began, arms crossed, “I liked the plan before.”  
Incredulous, Ana elbowed him in the side, barely containing her laughter, “Hank! You sick bastard.”  
He chuckled heartily. Her heart sped up at the sound. She would gladly be the butt of every joke if it meant she got to hear his laugh more often.   
“It saw something,” Connor looked to be nearly bouncing where he stood, “A blue haired Traci left the room. Club policy is to wipe the androids’ memory every two hours. We only have a few minutes to find another witness.”   
“I know which way it went! This way,” Connor called after he touched an android pole dancing.  
“How can you tell from just touching them?” Hank asked, following the fast walking deviant hunter.   
“I can access their memory when I interface and see through their eyes,” Connor responded, gripping a male pole dancer in the next room over.   
“Ew Connor you could see them..with a client,” Ana grimaced.   
Connor looked disgusted at the thought, “I avoid that part of their memory bank.”  
“I would too.”


	6. Chapter 6

“Come on, we don’t have much time!” Connor called as he ran off to interface with another android like an anxious puppy. Thankfully, this time, Ana didn’t have to pay for it’s services. She followed the detective android at a more leisurely pace, knowing her fleshy capabilities were not useful in this instance, but when Connor stated he knew where the deviant went and what she looked like, pointing at the “Staff Only” door sign, she drew her weapon. She had never fought an android before, but she assumed they were strong as hell. The three of them filed down the short hall into the dark, silent repair warehouse. She did not like where this was going.   
Ana stepped as lightly as she could, her blood pumping through her system rapidly, “I don’t like thi-”  
Before she could even finish her statement, Connor was knocked back, a blue haired Traci model going directly for his throat.   
“Don’t Move!” Hank called, gun raised at the first as a second launched for him.   
Ana weaved through the tables, shelves, and androids to cross to the two struggling men. Though, to be fair, Connor was doing just fine for himself. By the time she reached them, Connor’s fight had moved outside while Hank still grappled on the floor. The brunette Traci landed a swift left hook to Hank’s exposed ribcage and another to his gut. He crumpled in pain. A blaze spread from the middle of Ana’s chest to the tips of her fingers. All she saw was red as her hand reached out and gripped cold, round metal. Bringing the pipe up, she brought it down on the side of the Traci’s neck, sending it crumpling to the ground. The android stood to retaliate, but metal met metal once more and the bot became delirious with simulated pain. Ana gripped it by the back of the neck, pulling upwards and pushing forwards towards Connor.   
“Are you two alright? Hank? Connor?” she asked, voice low and coiled.   
Connor almost numbly turned to her, shock registered on his face at the sight of the restrained Traci and Ana’s simmering anger.   
“Let her go.” It sounded as though it had been ripped from his dry throat.   
In shock, Ana did as he said, her trust for the android taking over and making the unconscious decision for her. The Traci lightly staggered into the arms of her love. Ana blanched at the sight, eyebrows drawn downwards and breath ghosting in the cold air before her.   
“What did you do?” The blue haired one hissed.  
“Go,” Connor said, lowly, to the two.   
Understanding that they would not get another chance, the two fled over the chain link fence and out onto the deserted street. Confusion reigned in the rage and worry took its place. Connor hadn’t moved from his position, staring after where the girls had melded into the darkness.   
She placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling the synthetic construction of skin beneath his shirt and jacket. If she hadn’t known any better, she would have sworn he was human. He felt like one. He acted like one. Perhaps, she supposed, he was becoming one. As far as she knew, everything in his programming would have told him to take down both deviants at all costs and, yet, they ran free.   
“Connor?”  
“She..begged him to stop. He didn’t. She wanted to survive, to stay with the girl, her…’love’ she said,” he sounded so lost.   
Understanding broke on her face.  
“It’s probably better this way,” Hank appraised Connor as he slowly approached.   
Ana nodded, giving Connor’s shoulder one last pat before turning, “Come. We have a report to fill.”  
It was later that night when Ana sat up straight from her light slumber at the desk she and Conner shared. Thankfully, hardly anyone appeared to be in the office and those that were didn’t pay her a single shred of mind. She didn’t recall falling asleep, nor putting a coat over herself before doing so. Blinking a few times to bring the world into focus, she stretched subtly and noted Connor and Hank’s absence. Grumbling at her slip up, she grabbed her belongings sloppily and threw them into her bag. She stood, taking the jacket from her shoulders and tensing. She knew damn well who’s jacket this was. There was no way Hank would have left without it-  
“Evening, glad you decided to wake up, now that the report is submitted.”  
The sound of Hank’s teasing voice caused her to turn quicker than she remembered being possible for her.   
“Do you ever sleep?” she responded automatically, her voice sounding like someone else’s in her ears. Hank wore his lopsided smirk and had somehow produced a second coat, which he wore now. Her heart stuttered a concerning amount.   
“No. Come on, I’ll drive you home,” without waiting for a response, he headed towards the front door.   
Ana yanked her bag onto her shoulders and folded the jacket over her arm, almost jogging to catch up to the man. In the parking lot, he pulled out her keys and got into the driver’s side of her car.   
“Hold on a second,” she came to life quick, “are you sober enough to drive my car?”  
“It’s been hours, and Connor made me drink two bottles of water. I’m fine,” he shrugged, starting the car and adjusting the seat and mirrors.   
“Oh, well, whatever.”  
“Wait, you’re not going to fight me on this?”  
“I trust you,” she said simply, having no idea the effect of her words.   
He felt like someone had just gut punched him and then gave him a hug immediately after. Warmth spread through his body and he felt like a dumb kid for it. It had been a while since anyone trusted him openly with anything, much less their life and their car. Hank didn’t even want to acknowledge that, for the second time, those were words that hadn’t ever been spoken by his ex-wife.   
As they got on their way, Ana chuckled, “At least this time you don’t have to carry me up the stairs.”  
He chucked, but shrugged, “I’d do it if you needed.”  
Ana felt like she could cut the tension with a proverbial knife. Something had seemed to shift in their relationship days ago and after what she witnessed in Hank’s house, their inexplicable and unspoken bond grew. On her end at least, it seemed like they were tip toeing around the ledge, waiting to see if one would take the leap first or if they would do it together.   
Too engrossed in her own musings, she hadn’t realized they arrived at her apartment and she shook herself before getting out of the car. Without asking, he walked her to her home and as she stood before her open and unlocked door, a thought struck her.  
“How are you getting home? What happened to your car?”  
“Connor said he needed to ‘get some damaged bio component fixed’ or something and said he’d pick me up afterwards,” he waved his hand noncommittally.   
Feeling a clear fork in the road before her, Ana made a decision before nerves could reason her out of it, “You can come in if you want to. ”  
Hank looked like he was fighting a battle as to whether he should say yes or no. Ana hoped it wasn’t because he actually didn’t really like her and just tolerated her existence for his own sanity. However, for once, the logical half of her brain argued that there was no way he would have done half of the things he had for her if he truly disliked her.  
Meanwhile, Hank desperately wanted to say yes, but was afraid of the multitude of uncertain outcomes that could result from accepting her offer. But he also worried about what would happen if he said no.   
“Come on, it's not that messy,” she laughed, disappearing into the almost darkness of her apartment and leaving the door open for him to decide.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: bad smut 🤭  
> pls no harsh judgements and don't read if you're under 18 kids

With thirty seconds more of fidgeting in the brightly lit hall, he took the tentative step past the threshold, somehow expecting to be shot down by lightning instantly. When no doom from the heavens came for him, he entered more fully. A soft glow of light flooded into the small entryway from the kitchen to the right. He removed his shoes and coat, meeting her there.   
“You want something to eat? Have you had dinner?” She asked it so casually and the sight of her in her sweatpants in the middle of the kitchen late at night sent shots of domesticity through Hank.   
“Oh no-” he began to refuse.   
“Here, I’ve got some leftover mushroom alfredo. I’ll heat up a plate.”  
“Sure,” he said helplessly as he stood in the middle of her kitchen.   
In the environment of her home, Ana felt some of the nervousness leave her. The surroundings were familiar; it was just the two of them. She felt suddenly that she could make a move on him and no one would know. The thought of her clean, empty bedroom sent a devilish smile on her face. She would not mind at all if they mussed up her sheets a little, regardless of how some rational side of her said she shouldn’t be fraternizing with her co-workers, much less superiors.   
“So did Connor tell you when he’d be over?”  
“No,” Hank grumbled behind her, sitting at the kitchen table now, “he just said he’d call me. Which means I could be here for the next four hours.”  
He thanked her as she placed the plate of food before him. It smelled heavenly. As she went back to dish herself a portion, she felt a wave of something pass over her and her voice spoke before the self doubt could reach her.   
“I’m sure we can do something to fill the time.”   
The blatant suggestivity of her statement and tone was not lost on Hank. He may be rusty in the dating department, but he sure as hell was not stupid. Shock radiated his body as he sat there rigidly, fork half way to his mouth, staring in utter disbelief at Ana from across the little kitchen. Both dared not move, letting the gravity of what had just been spoken settle in first. Hank, gambling with what to do next and Ana bursting into instant flames of embarrassment at her pubescent actions. Just as quickly as it had begun, it ended.   
Hank smirked, the mere idea of her returning his affection for her filling him with a determination and will he didn’t remember having in a while, “Jesus Ana, ask a guy to dinner first.”  
She let out all the air she’d been harboring in her lungs, face still throbbing with blood, “Oh god, Hank, I shouldn’t have said that-!”  
“Did you mean it?” he shifted from teasing to serious quickly.   
“Yes,” she responded breathlessly and without thought, “But I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. We can just forget it ever happened.”  
She sat down at the table across from him feeling so incredibly awkward, and Hank nodded in agreement.   
“So how did you happen upon this little place?” he gestured to the apartment as he continued their conversation as though nothing had happened.   
Ana took a moment to recover from his total nonchalance, feeling like an utter fool all the while. Where was the stoic, stern leader she thought she had been moulded into? Was the tiniest modicum of affection all it took for her to crumble?   
“I well- I was moving into the city and a friend of mine recommended it, knowing I prefer the less automated lifestyle, and-”  
The rest of their little meal together flowed seamlessly. It truly amazed both of them how easy the other’s conversation and company were. It was like they’d known each other for far longer than the weeks they had. There were a few instances during the meal though, which Ana thought weren’t quite accidental.   
She felt Hank’s knee bump the inside of her thigh lightly. She brushed it off as being a result of his long legs and her tiny table. His gaze continued to hold an intensity in them that sent shocks through her system every time she met his eyes. Then, after they had finished eating, but remained sitting before their empty plates, his fingertips brushed hers. She had to fight to keep from stuttering in her sentence. She realized none of these were happenstance and felt her lower abdomen ignite.   
“I’ll clear these, go on ahead to the living room,” she said, taking the plates to the sink.   
“Will do,” he wandered over.   
Honestly, she used the excuse of rinsing and putting them in the dishwasher to take a moment. The precipice she sensed earlier was so close her toes stood out over the edge and, as she chanced a glance at Hank admiring the items adorning her shelves, she could feel he was in the same position. Wiping her hands on the towel, she ventured forth into the living room, reinvigorated. She can handle getting shot at for God’s sake, this shouldn’t be a big deal.  
“Admiring my assortment of knick-knacks I see,” she smiled as he turned to face her, “I think you’ll like my vinyls better, I have some great classic metal ones you’d enjoy.”  
She went over to the shelves of records and began to thumb through her collection for ones Hank might like. She found some Metallica and went to reach for them when an arm reached for her hand. He was so close behind her she could feel the warmth from his torso radiate into her own, his shoulder brushing hers. The rough pads of his fingers gently grasped either side of her palm.   
“How about we put on something..slower,” the low rumble of his voice ghosted across her right ear and jaw. She inched her head in that direction, breath slowing, but heart pumping. His left hand found her hip, squeezed it before gliding upward and forward to rest on her ribcage. He gently pulled her back into his chest and ghosted his lips over her neck once, twice.   
Ana, finding her wits among the thick fog that clouded her mind, reached back and gripped any fabric she could find to keep him there, her head leaning back to rest against his collarbone and exposing more of her neck to him. Hank drank in her closed eyes and the slight knitting of her brow for a moment, his own eyes half lidded and dark, a heavy need clinging to his brain. Some base part of him didn’t want to let her go for even a second. In response, he latched onto the junction between her neck and shoulder.   
Ana’s eyes opened and she let out a shaky breath, her right hand curling to thread her fingers through his hair. When he ran his teeth over the now bruised spot, Ana let out a low sound and pulled his head back by his hair and turned her head to look at him. Her predatory eyes seemed to glow in the low light of the living room. An involuntary twinge of fear went through Hank, she looked like she could destroy him, and he found himself wanting her to. She thought he looked positively delicious with his lips swollen and red already from attacking her neck.   
She released him from her hold and he reluctantly followed suit, thinking she had enough. But when she grabbed his hand and led him over to the door of her bedroom, he swallowed thickly and nearly groaned audibly. Instead he let go, reached down, and picked her up. Her back rested against the wall next to the closed door as her thighs slid on either side of his hips. She smirked devilishly and hooked her ankles together and closed the tiny space between them, his hips slotting perfectly between her legs.   
“I was going to ask whether you were sure you wanted this,” she said. She leaned into his ear, her arms wrapped loosely around his neck, hips grinding into his own, and cooed, “but I think the answer is pretty obvious.”  
He answered by groaning and placing a hand on the wall behind her to steady himself, “You’re going to kill me, Anastasia.”  
The sound of her full name on his lips caused a moan to leave her mouth, “I could say the same to you, Hank.”   
He leaned down and swiftly caught her lips with his own. The whole world seemed to melt away and the only thing that crossed either’s mind was the other. Ana reached a hand down and turned the door handle and pushed it open, Hank carrying her into the dark room. He found the bed in the pitch and tossed her on the cold sheets. Ana let out a little yelp at her sudden flight, but let out a laugh when she landed. It danced around the room like a melody and only enchanted a deep chuckle out of Hank.   
His laugh faded when a light came on, she had crawled up the bed to turn on a bedside lamp that bathed the room in a soft yellow glow. Now, she moved back to the far end of the bed where he stood and leaned up on her knees, pulling her t-shirt over her head. To Hank, the whole show seemed to be in slow motion as her skin was revealed to him. She unclasped her bra and shuffled back over to where he stood, his jaw clenched and hands at his side.   
“You can touch me, Hank,” she smiled at him, trying to offer some reassurance.   
“It’s hard to believe I can,” he replied, finally placing his arms around her and rubbing gentle circles across her back.   
“I didn’t know you were such a sap,” Ana whispered as she leaned in.   
“Not usually,” he breathed before kissing her again. Some of the urgency was lost this time, instead, a sweetness that should have only been appropriate for a couple, took over. Ana knew that this didn’t address the topic of her romantic feelings for the man, but that was a conversation for another day. Right now, the only thing she wanted to think about was who stood before her.   
He ran a hand up to the back of her neck and pulled away to kiss his way down her jaw, to her neck, across her collar bone. He looked up at her and met her gaze before taking a nipple in his mouth. She moaned unabashedly, head falling back to stare at the ceiling with want. She couldn’t believe this was actually happening either. Ana pushed off his coat and it went willingly, but when she ran her hands under his shirt in an attempt to pull it off, Hank hesitated.   
“Come on, Hank,” she said breathlessly, “I want to see you.”  
“You sure?” he broke away from her breast for a moment to say that jokingly before going back to her breast.   
Before Ana could stop herself, she pulled him up and onto the bed above her, ripping his shirt over his head, “I’m very sure.”  
She took a moment to run her hands up and down his broad chest and strong arms. Her eyes drank in every detail, including the tattoo that rested on his left pec and a deep slash scar on his left bicep. Ana could tell he used to be jacked when he was younger and took better care of himself, especially if the feel of his back muscles were anything to go by.   
Groaning again, she met his eyes again, her own shining with a near desperation, “and I like what I see.”  
Hank couldn’t take it anymore. He was surprised when she offered to have him come in, when she fed him, and when she let slip she was attracted to him, but some part of him had still held onto the idea that she was just doing this because he was an easy target. Her blatant displays that her attraction was real, had his head spinning and his pants way too tight. Needless to say, Hank was finished with the preamble. He yanked her pants and underwear down together and her sharp intake of breath and blown pupils were enough of an answer for him. He decided to throw all of his cards on the table. He kicked off his jeans as she grabbed a condom. Ana cursed her fumbling hands in that moment as she felt like it took her far too long to get the lid of the box open.   
When she turned back around, he was completely bare before her and tossing his bottoms onto the floor. Dumbly, she held the rubber out to him and he took it. She felt like she was seeing a naked man for the first time again, but this time, it wasn’t weird or awkward. No, she couldn’t recall ever being so turned-on by the mere sight of someone. He was done rolling on the condom quickly and he caught sight of her dumbfounded expression, instead of making a mildly self-deprecating comment, he chose to smirk, lean forward, and kiss her again.   
Her words minutes earlier echoed in his head, “and I like what I see.”  
She slid back underneath him and hooked her legs back around his waist to draw him downwards. Without uttering a word, she reached down and wrapped her hand around his throbbing member. She prayed it would fit and guided him to her entrance, allowing him to make the first move into her. When he did, she whined and placed her grip on his arms, which lay on either side of her head.   
“Shit. Are you okay?” he moaned.   
“Give me a minute,” she panted, the stretching bordering on painful. After what felt like a couple of minutes, she couldn’t help but smirk and break the silence with, “You are fucking huge.”  
He smirked right back and shifted to move slowly inside of her, his eyes closing at the feel of her around him. At his first full stroke, she felt him hit and rub against that perfect spot within her and she knew she wouldn’t be able to keep it together for long. Pain melded into pleasure and suddenly it was all too much and yet not enough.   
“More,” Ana was begging already, and found that she didn’t care. He picked up speed.  
“More,” she said again, matching every thrust.   
She sounded so wanton, so unforgivably wrecked, that Hank felt something snap within him. He kept pace and went down to his elbows so that he could breathe in her ear dirty little nothings.   
“You want more? You sound so desperate already,” he began, feeling her clench around him, and whimper loudly, “You like it when I talk to you like that, huh?”  
She nodded, not trusting her speaking capabilities.  
“You like being trapped beneath me don’t you? I could be here all night. You’re so beautiful like this, speechless, wrecked.”  
He moaned deep and long as she nearly sobbed at the feeling. Her senses overwhelmed all thought. He was whispering in her ear and kissing her shoulder, while his right hand traveled down to rub her clit and he brutally pumped in and out of her, his hips rubbing the inside of her thighs deliciously. Every thought and feeling was consumed by him. She could feel the edge rapidly approaching and knew he was close from his lack of speech and groans mixed with every exhale. He came, the waves crashing over him hard, and he moaned her name loudly into the night. He couldn’t remember anything past this night, past her. The sound sent her over the edge right after him; she saw stars burst behind her closed eyes as her mouth opened in a silent scream. Even as he slowed in his thrusts, every movement sent involuntary twitches through her shaky legs.  
He gently lay his weight down on top of her and she instinctively wrapped her arms around his back, her muddled mind clinging to him like he was the only thing keeping her grounded to the earth. He ran a hand through her hair, absent-mindedly enjoying the exhaustion and calm that followed. For a few minutes, they lay like that, recovering their wits. When Hank slowly shifted upwards and slid out of her she shivered at the apparent feeling of emptiness and oversensitivity. Ana could tell her legs would be sore, and she winced as she placed them flat against the bed, realizing her brace stayed on her right leg throughout and thankful for it.   
“Did I hurt your leg?” It was the first thing spoken after the drastic shift in their relationship, but there was no awkwardness to speak of.   
Feeling a rush, she swung her leg over his hips and straddled him, her hands on either side of his neck. She curled down to his mouth, and gave him a peck, “Don’t worry about me, I like it a little rough. Maybe next time, I can be on top.”   
She licked her lips seductively. His face flushed and they shared a light laugh, as she lay back down beside him. He pulled the now tossed about covers over the two of them. He pulled her back to his chest, her head resting on his bicep and his right arm curling around her. She wrapped her hand in his, her eyelids refusing to stay open any longer. All Hank could think of was-  
“Next time,” he smiled into the dark and pulled her closer.


End file.
